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237 Ga. App. 764

State v. Moses

Court of Appeals of Georgia

Decided April 27, 1999

Court of Appeals of Georgia · decided 1999-04-27

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently June 2011

2 state decisions

Relies on Miranda v. State of Arizona Vignera · Allen v. State · 207 Ga. App. 287 - State v. MacK

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1999-04-27

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Judge Harold R. Banke.

¶1After Mark Moses performed poorly on field sobriety tests, Officer Campbell placed him under arrest for DUI and read him the Implied Consent Notice set forth in OCGA § 40-5-67.1 (b). Officer Campbell requested that he submit to a breath test, to which Moses consented. Dissatisfied with the results of that test, Officer Campbell re-read Moses the “Implied Consent Notice,” this time asking for a blood test. Again Moses consented, and the test was taken. At no point was Moses warned of his rights pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (86 SC 1602, 16 LE2d 694) (1966).

¶2Moses moved to suppress the results of the blood test, arguing State v. Warmack, 230 Ga. App. 157 (495 SE2d 632) (1998), required the giving of Mirandawarnings before requesting additional chemical tests. Granting the motion, the court held that a subsequent amendment to OCGA § 40-5-67.1 did not change this holding of Warmack. The State appeals. Held:

¶3No Mirandawarnings are constitutionally required prior to requesting a blood-alcohol test under the implied consent statute. Allen v. State, 254 Ga. 433, 434 (3) (330 SE2d 588) (1985); see State v. Mack, 207 Ga. App. 287 (2) (427 SE2d 615) (1993). Because the right to refuse a blood test is granted by statute, the legislature may limit the nature of that right. Allen, supra,254 Ga. at 434 (1) (b).

¶4Referencing the chemical tests available under the Implied Consent Statute (OCGA § 40-5-55), OCGA § 40-5-67.1 (a) originally provided that a law enforcement officer suspecting a DUI violation could request a chemical test by designating “which test shall be administered, provided that the officer shall require a breath test or a blood test and may require a urine test.” Based on this language, Warmack, supra,230 Ga. App. at 158, held that to avoid losing his license an individual only had to submit to a breath test or a blood test, not to both. “Once the arresting officer designates the test, the statute provides no authority for making another selection when the officer becomes dissatisfied with the results of the State test.” Id.Warmackheld under Georgia law that although Mirandawarnings were not required before requesting the initial test, they were required before requesting additional tests. Id. at 158-159; see generally McKeown v. State, 187 Ga. App. 685, 686 (1) (371 SE2d 243) (1988) (an officer may request additional tests).

*765Decided April 27,1999.S. James Tuggle, Solicitor, for appellant.Allen M. Trapp, Jr., for appellee.

¶5Effective March 27,1998, the legislature amended OCGA § 40-5-67.1 (a) to provide that “the requesting law enforcement officer shall designate which test or tests shall be administered initially and may subsequently require a test or tests of any substances not initially tested.” Ga. L. 1998, p. 210, § 2. Moses’ incident took place on May 19, 1998. Because officers are now authorized to require subsequent tests, the statutory underpinnings of Warmack’s conclusion have fundamentally changed. But its rationale is extant. Just as Mirandawarnings were not necessary before requesting the initial test which an officer could require before the amendment, so Mirandawarnings are not necessary before requesting additional tests, now that the amendment authorizes an officer to require them.

¶6The court erred in granting the motion to suppress.

¶7Judgment reversed.

Blackburn, P. J, and Barnes, J., concur.
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